Freelancer Gift Guide
My guide to gifts for the freelancer in your life.
(Even if that’s you.)
GIFTS BY FREELANCERS
The great thing is, loads of the following gift ideas for freelancers are actually made by freelancers.
When you shop with freelancers, you effectively give a gift twice! Because they’ll get a festive flurry of £, $ or € in their direction.
The Being Freelance Gift Guide
Books
Tech
Stationery
Prints & Art
People & Connection
Home & Food
Clothes & Accessories
BOOKS FOR FREELANCERS
TOP BOOK IDEAS FOR FREELANCERS
All but one of the authors are on the Being Freelance podcast 🎧
Anti-Sell (Steve Morgan)
Selling without selling. And I’m sold on the new 5th anniversary cover.
Very Good Copy (Eddie Shleyner)
All freelancers are writers to some extent. Learn from the best with these ‘micro-lessons’.
Do Penguins Eat Peaches (Katie Tucker)
Market research for your freelance business. One of our favourite Book Club reads this year in the Being Freelance Community.
Company Of One (Paul Jarvis)
Classic. Bigger isn’t better. Unless it’s a Toblerone.
No-Nonsense PR (Lucy Werner)
Quick PR tips from the Queen of Hype Yourself.
The Best 90 Days Ever (Hannah Isted)
Daily tasks for marketing your business. Could make a huge impact on your business in 2025 if you did it.
Keep At It (Ashwin Chacko)
Daily quotes & thoughts, lovingly illustrated.
Why Aren’t We Talking About This? (Hazel Mead)
Not a business book, but an illustrated look at life from one of the final guests of the podcast in 2024.
SUBSCRIPTION TO FREELANCER MAGAZINE
More accurately this is ‘MADE BY FREELANCERS’. A great team effort creating four excellent magazines dedicated to freelancing each year.
A subscription is the gift that keeps on giving.
Not a book. But plenty to read all year long.
TECH
TECH GIFTS FOR FREELANCERS
PORTABLE LAPTOP STAND
Stop looking down at your laptop. A bad neck hampers tea drinking.
RøDE MINI USB MIC
USB mics are an easy way to sound great on video calls and podcasts. This mini one is robust to travel with.
LOGITECH LITRA BEAM LIGHT
Doubles as my desk light and when tilted, a video call light.
Bright idea for a gift.
POWER BANK FOR A LAPTOP
No more socket-searching in coffee shops or trains.
USB CUP WARMER
Give the gift of a cup of tea that doesn’t go cold.
FOLDABLE KEYBOARD FOR SMARTPHONE
If you’re regularly freelancing on the move, this could be a great gift.
A bluetooth keyboard that folds down to the size of a smartphone… but when open, will pair with your smartphone, tablet or computer. Email and admin on the go just got a whole lot easier.
I can’t vouch for this particular model but I’m sold on the idea.
Mechanical Keyboard
I see lots of freelancers using mechanical keyboards these days. Partly drawn by how they feel to type on, but also, just how customisable some can be. Different colours (to match your brand) and programmable keys.
This Logitech ‘pop’ model (available in other colours too) has changeable Emoji keys so the 🍪, 🙌 and 🙈 are never far away.
Branded Cube Lamp
Spotted my Being Freelance 3D Cube lamp on my Instagram or YouTube videos?
I love it. You can get anything printed on the six sides.
So if you’ve got a great logo and brand colours, why not let them shine?
BUY IT FROM UNIQ CUBE
A kindle
I know some people love physical books. But you can’t smudge an cake on a Kindle.
There’s quite a range of e-readers available for different budgets, including this pink one that I’m bookmarking.
POMODORO TIMER
Not all tech has to be expensive to make a difference.
The Pomodoro Technique is a juicy way to squeeze the most out of your time as a freelancer.
So a timer of any sort (that gets you away from your phone) is genuinely a great gift.
I use this one - you quickly spin the outside ring to set a time and away you go.
WIRELESS MICROPHONE FOR YOUR PHONE
Doing lots of videos? Improve the sound with a wireless microphone.
Just do me a favour and don’t do that thing where you hold it 😆
Plenty to choose from. These are new from Rode - a pair with charging case & wind mufflers if you’re outside. Sounds good to me.
Check compatibility with your device 👀
CLEAR HEADPHONES FOR VIDEO CALLS
I wanted ‘invisible’ headphones for doing live video like webinars.
Bluetooth ones can be unreliable, so I settled on these Shure SE215 that musicians use.
Bonus is that they also block out external noise (so you can’t hear people saying ‘who do you think you are? Bono?!)
AN AIR FRYER
What you’re giving, is years of interesting lunch options and rewarding treats.
With an air fryer it’s easy and economical for a home working freelancer to knock up a pie, fish fingers, jacket potato, bacon (and so on…)
Maybe grab frozen pastries or cookie dough and find a freshly cooked daydream turned reality within minutes.
STATIONERY
TYPEWRITER STICKY NOTE DISPENSER
A cute tiny typewriter for your desk.
Each sticky note comes out like it’s from the typewriter so you can pretend you’re a giant version of Angela Lansbury on ‘To-Do List, She Wrote.’
PRODUCTIVITY CARDS BY Nick Parker
Writer and BF Podcast guest Nick offers his take on the productivity hack world.
Each card has a simple message. Exactly the same message.
If you get stuck, pick a card and it’ll tell you what to do.
COFFEE LOVERS PENCIL SET
Plenty of work to do.
But first, coffee.
With these themed pencils you can tick off your to-do list as you get a latte done.
WHOLE-ARSED IDEAS A5 NOTEBOOK
This is actually a piece of merch for a stage show - Operation Mincemeat. But it just seems so apt for the constant stream of ideas freelancers have.
For the full West End Musical experience, buy them some little tubs of ice cream as well.
A1 YEAR WALL PLANNER
A fresh year ahead and a fresh look to this annual treat from designer Anna Rigby.
For 2025 Anna has a range of styles/colours and offers portrait as well as landscape planners.
Get on with your year, get this on your wall.
FUNNY NOTEBOOKS
There are some great ones in here. Some are perfect for meetings: “List of people who have wasted my time” and “Meetings that could have been emails”.
A big choice of colours and types of paper to choose from too.
FREELANCE ROLLERCOASTER NOTEBOOK
It comes with:
- a handy page ribbon for remembering what the client said in the meeting
- elastic closure to ping mindlessly during coworking
- pen loop for restraining rogue chocolate fingers.
AND it features a version of our amazing Rubber Penguin designed art print (see the art gift ideas section in this post for details!).
TO-DO LIST NOTE PADS
Risotto have a huge range of fun designed, coloured stationery including varieties of these note pads.
Much a-do for these daily To-dos, don’t mind if I do. Tick.
NOSTALGIC BICSCUIT VINYL STICKERS
Love these tasty stickers from illustrator Rebecca McConnachie.
Get them on your laptop. Keep the real things close by.
DAILY PLANNER NOTEBOOK
I have the yellow one of these planners and I love it.
Plenty of room for your daily to-do list, plus times for meetings and a big page for notes.
Because it’s not dated you can pick it up and use it throughout the year as you need it.
Because sometimes pen & paper just works.
A3 Weekly Desk Planner
This tear-off desk pad is another great product from graphic designer Anna Rigby.
I have one of these on my very own desk. It’s too nice to write on, so I have a achieved nothing.
The Anti-Planner, by Dani Donovan
Dani is an online creator helping those with ADHD. Their neuro-diverse squad comics and videos have spawned…
‘The Anti-Planner: How to Get Sh*t Done When You Don’t Feel Like It’ - an activity book specifically designed to help procrastinators.
CATS IN COLOUR CALENDAR
Cats are great company for a freelancer.
Imagine a new colourful companion for each month of your business year.
And on the plus side these beautiful illustrated ones won’t bring a dead bird into your room during a Zoom call.
PRINTS & ART
FRENCH PRESS PRINT
Freelancers work well under pressure.
Especially if that pressure is pushing down a plunger on top of some hot water and coffee.
This bright idea for your kitchen or office space is from freelance illustrator Matt Joyce.
And if you prefer an Aero Press or Moka Pot he has prints for those too.
THE TRUE DEFINITION OF EMAILS
These are brilliant. Click through for a proper read, but here’s the first one:
’per my last email’ - definition: ‘learn to F’cking read bitch’.
RIDE THE FREELANCE ROLLERCOASTER
Celebrate the ups and downs of freelance life in this new print by illustrator Dan Bailey AKA Rubber Penguin.
The latest of our Being Freelance artist collaborations is raising money for UNICEF and comes in A4 and A3.
Hear Dan’s freelancing story on the Being Freelance podcast from spring 2024.
BE NICE TO PEOPLE
Technically the work of two freelancers as this sound business advice is the work of Yeye Weller, a German art duo.
I take my hat off tho them.
If you want to meet nice people that’ll be nice to you, while you’re nice to them, come and join the Being Freelance Community.
Cover Versions
Previous Being Freelance guest Ben The Illustrator has a brilliant range of album artwork in his own style.
Much easier to get hold of than Oasis tickets. More reliably priced too.
If you love to listen to music while you work - how about being surrounded by the images too?
FIND YOUR JOY!
Freelance motion designer Hashmukh Kerai was on the Being Freelance podcast in 2020.
Hash does a lot of brilliant 3D animation that jumps out of the screen, but this is his first time pinning it down to the wall.
Fine words for a freelancer: find your joy.
WATER YOUR VISIONS
Brazilian graphic designer Victoria was on the podcast in Feb ‘23.
She has a number of eye-catching prints that I absolutely love.
This one feels particularly apt for freelancers. Water that vision. See what grows.
CATGENTA
Freelance illustrator Mariery Young shared her story on the podcast in October 2024.
From Panama, her art is brightening the world and potentially your wall.
There’s a huge range of prints available, but I had a good feline about this one.
KEEP AT IT
‘Keep At It’ is the work of previous Being Freelance podcast guest and the prince of playful positivity Ashwin Chacko.
Yep, that’s the Being Freelance mug at the heart of it all. Does all its own stunts. Like a ceramic Tom Cruise.
GRATITUDE PRINT by lo harris
Lo Harris brought so much joy to her episode of the Being Freelance podcast. And now she can bring some of that to your desk space too.
Plenty to choose from. There’s a lot to be grateful for when freelancing so this one print felt particularly apt.
PUT THE KETTLE ON
Natalie Cass actually has some excellent biscuit prints, but what use is a biscuit if you’ve not put the kettle on first?
SUNDAE KIND OF LOVE PRINT BY TOM HOVEY
This limited edition A2 screen print is new from Great British Bake Off illustrator Tom Hovey.
Tom shared his story on the Being Freelance podcast in 2020. It’s unclear whether he shares his ice cream.
This piled high bowl of treats feels like a visual representation of everything in a year of freelancing. Done in one sitting alone it’d make you sick. But shared with friends in the Being Freelance Community it becomes something to savour.
THIS SHIT IS HARD BY REBECCA STRICKSON
I love Rebecca’s designs - quite a few apt ones to choose from.
No one said freelance life was easy. But it sure is colourful.
Tatsuro Kiuchi Print
Japenese artist Tatsuro was an awesome guest on the Being Freelance podcast.
I love his work - I have this one up in my house after years of dreaming of it.
NOW OR NEVER
Freelancing can be a mix of hard work and luck.
But you make your own good fortune by getting out there, meeting people and trying things.
This limited edition print from Newton Davey, ‘Now or Never’ feels like a great freelancing phrase for 2025.
Linocut Teacup Print
At one of our Being Freelance creative workshops in 2024, we did lino printing.
It was so much fun. But also made me realise just how much skill goes into this art form.
Dutch artist Suzanne Kruisdijk has a range of beautiful lino prints that I could never do. Just my cup of tea.
WORK HARD & BE NICE TO PEOPLE PRINT
Anthony Burrill’s famous print is such an established part of freelancer walls and advice it should almost be handed out like a certificate when you submit your first tax return.
PEOPLE & CONNECTION
One of the most powerful ways of both growing your freelance business and enjoying being freelance, is MEETING PEOPLE.
A few ideas:
A ticket to ATOMICON (Lots of BFFs are going to this freelance friendly event in ‘25)
Membership to the Being Freelance Community (email me, steve @ beingfreelance.com for details)
Sessions with a coach that suits them/their needs
Coworking membership
Remind them, they’re not alone being freelance
FOOD, KITCHEN & HOME
COLOURFUL CUCKOO CLOCK
How cute are these?
Honestly, if you were to keep this in your office space, it might slowly drive you crazy.
Chirping cheerily away on the hour with not a care in the world.
Yeah, it’s that coworker.
Except it doesn’t even offer to bring you tea.
DESK PLAQUE
This metal desk plaque comes with magnetic letters.
Whether it’s at home or in a cowork space, don’t let people guess what how you’re feeling. Spell it out.
KEEP THAT SHIT UP! MUG
You know how fortune tellers can stare into an empty mug once you’ve drunk your tea and tell you your future?
You too can have that power!
Kate Clark creates these marvellous motivational mugs. She also does personalised versions so you could change the hidden message - amazing.
It’s true what it says by the way.
Adjustable Book Ends
Got books. Want them to look good behind you so you look clever. But then you get more books…
Well that’s okay, because this can expand as your collection does.
Available in a range of colours. Yeah, I can stretch to that.
Email like a boss Mug
Award winning ADHD creator Dani Donovan wants you to up your email game.
Rewriting your messages. Giving you confidence. AND TEA! Winner.
CUSTOM MERCH FOR FREELANCERS
NEW - Get your own business logo, designs or phrases on your own custom merch.
Using the design tool in the Being Freelance store, you can easily create your own personalised mug, bag, postcards, stickers, phone case, clothing and more.
DISCO BALL CANDLE
“Relight my fire… so long as it’s a small one on a candle wick”.
Beautiful disco lyrics.
Bring a bit of gltter ball glamour to your desk dancing.
Ready to sing “I will survive” another year of freelancing.
HOUSEPLANT SUBSCRIPTION
Regularly get sent a new house plant for your desk!
Which means less feeling guilty about how you managed to kill the last one.
DISCO BALL HANGING PLANTER
As a remote worker you may find yourself hanging out with house plants more than actual humans.
So let’s give them a bit of glamour shall we?
Disco plants at the ready.
Although mine have trouble ‘staying alive’.
PLANT NAME BADGES
Speaking of house plants. It can be hard work introducing each one every time you’re on a Zoom call or have people over.
‘Hello my name is…’ networking badge can now be given to Keith the Rubber Plant to wear with pride.
CUSTARD CREAM BISCUIT TIN
The custard cream is a classic. And this tin is… full of them.
That’s an embossed tin too, so the pattern stands out as much as you will for gifting it.
A Bourbon version is also availale.
QUINN THE FOX HOMEWARE
Quinn The Fox is the beautiful homeware brand from designer Andy Hau who shared his freelancing story on the Being Freelance podcast early in 2024.
I have the mug pictured here and it’s a real treat for a more gentle, considered tea break.
Check out the whole range as there’s so much to love.
The candle is new for this year to brighten those winter afternoons on a deadline.
RETRO BISCUIT BARREL
Vintage design for today’s biscuits.
And tomorrow’s biscuits.
Day after that, you’ll probably need new biscuits anyway.
AFFIRMATION BISCUITS
This gift is called ‘The 12 Days of Kindness Biscuit Tin’.
Inside: 1 ‘You Are…’ and 12 affirmation message biscuits.
For it to take 12 days seems optimistic. More like ‘One coworking session of biscuits’.
You are amazing by the way.
Look at what you did this year.
BISCUIT CushionS
Amazing biscuity cushions from Scotland's finest biscuity creator, Nikki McWilliams. There’s a lovely range to choose from. NICE. Custard Cream. Malted Milk… And of course Tunnocks.
CUSTARD CREAM BLANKET
Yes, Nikki who makes those cushions also serves up Custard Cream blankets. This is also available in pink. Mmmmm.
Ed The Bat Velvet Cushion
Often when BFF Julia Broughton of Scatterbrain Studios is on our Being Freelance Community cowork calls, you’ll spot Ed The Bat make an appearance.
We love hearing how she’s building up this side of her business and can’t wait to see what 2025 brings.
Bats aren’t just for Halloween, have him hang out at your place all year long.
HAPPY CUSHIONS
Originally from Columbia, now in the UK, but definitely residing in the ‘Republic Of Happy’.
This independent designer has created soft furnishings to surround your hard work.
Inspired by the Columbian flora & fauna of their home to brighten up yours.
Bourbon biscuit BROWNIES
If the freelancer in your life loves bourbon biscuits. And they also love brownies. Then guess what?
I reckon they’ll love these.
And you. Just a hunch.
Tea and Biscuits Tray
Brighten up your day with tea and biscuits.
Carla van der Meer designs fun colourful gifts as ‘Poppekins’.
Poppe the kettle on and check out her ideas.
Personalised CHOCOLATE BAR
Mmmm. Tony’s chocolate tastes great, does great things ethically and makes a great gift too.
Especially if you design the wrapper of your own bar!
Or two.
If you’re design inclined you can start from scratch or use their templates to get you in the right direction.
Personalised Photo Desk Calendar
Yes you could take photos from 2024 to brighten up 2025. But you know what else? You could take positive comments clients have given you and put them on here to. Nice daily reminder that you’ve got this.
NON EMPLOYEE OF THE WEEK MUG
The Non Employee Of The Week Awards started live in the Being Freelance Community in 2018.
The design of the ‘ceramic trophy’ has changed over the years, but here you can get your hands on (and then wrap them around) the original NEOTW mug.
BUY FROM BEING FREELANCE
(UK only, contact me for worldwide shipping)
CLOTHES & ACCESSORIES
FREELANCE ROLLERCOASTER T-SHIRT
This design is a reworking of our ‘Ride The Freelance Rollercoaster’ art print by illustrator Dan Bailey AKA Rubber Penguin.
Available on t-shirts and hoodies.
‘Put your hands in the air like you just don’t care’.
And because it’s easier to get this over your head.
FOLLOW YOUR GUT T-SHIRT
One of the soundest bits of advice you can give a freelancer is ‘trust your gut’.
So trust your gut if you think they’ll like this design from Canadian illustrator Jessie Maisonneuve.
POWERED BY CUSTARD CREAMS T-SHIRT, BY JAUNTY FIG
This is one of many fun, colourful clothing and bags etc, all created by independent designer Lauren, AKA Jaunty Fig.
Here’s to another year of being powered by biscuits. Living the cream.
CUSTOM MERCH FOR FREELANCERS
NEW - Get your own business logo, designs or phrases on your own custom merch.
Using the design tool in the Being Freelance store, you can create your own personalised t-shirt, hoodie, mug, bag, postcards, stickers and more.
Pretty special gift for another year of freelancing life.
jammie dodger jumper, by rosie johnson
This awesome jumper from illustrator Rosie Johnson also raises money for a Breast Cancer charity. She has a whole range of cool clothes, take a look.
BEING FREELANCE APPAREL
Forget the House of Gucci.
The Cowork Space of Being Freelance is where it’s at.
BFFs wear their hearts on their sleeves and their logos on their tees, sweat shirts and hoodies.
CAFFEINE HIGH T-SHIRT
Most freelancers get through the daily grind after graduating from Caffeine High.
This was created live on social media by logo designer James Barnard.
James shared his freelancing story on the podcast in 2024. including how he built his Instagram and TikTok audience.
FREELANCE Coworkers T shirt, by Lyons Creative
In the Being Freelance Community we love our weekly coworking sessions.
But for many the reality of daily freelance work involves finishing a project and high fiving the cat.
Which is why this from BFF graphic designer Angela Lyons is perfect (no, I’m not writing purrrfect).
PAY MY INVOICE SWEATSHIRT
Wear it on a client call. Very subtle.
This is actually embroidered, so the message won’t fade.
Which is just as well as you’ll need it regularly in 2025.
WARM STUFF
No freelancer who works from home is going to be sad opening the gift of warmth.
Blankets. Hats. Gloves. Oodies. Hot water bottles. Slippers.
This particular wearable blanket is from Amazon (although if he’s that cold, put some socks on) and Etsy is full of amazing independents making fingerless gloves.
SOLAR POWERED PIN BADGE
Don’t forget to step away from your desk daily, to get energised by daylight.
This battery shaped pin badge is by illustrator Hazel Mead who shared her freelancing story on the Being Freelance podcast at the end of 2024.
PROCRASTINATOR PIN BADGE
Wear your procrastination as a badge of honour with this brilliant enamel pin.
And choosing which outfit to match it with should kill a bit more time.
SCARED SHITLESS & DOING IT ANYWAY PIN BADGE
There will be plenty of times a freelancer that you’ll be scared shitless. But you’ll do it anyway.
Going to a networking event. Speaking at an event. Being on a podcast. Showing up online. Sending a pitch…
And it has glitter. Don’t mess with glitter.
PENCIL SOCKS
They’ll look sharp in this brilliant pair of classic HB pencil socks.
A nice stocking filler that becomes a slipper filler on opening.
MY CUP OF TEA SOCKS
The number of cups of tea a freelancer on a deadline has in just one day, here woven into a happy pair of socks.
You can also get a coffee set that come in a cardboard coffee cup because if a gimmick's worth doing, you may as well go all in.
Panic At the Desk-O T-shirt
London based creator Em, AKA The Artful Possum, has created this perfect embroidered t-shirt for all us solo desk-o fans.
In the Being Freelance Community we have a regular live show called The Freelance Disco - this possum would fit right in, and fit you too.
YOU ARE THE SEA TOPS
Leyla Alexander is a brilliant designer and awesome member of the Being Freelance Community.
Leyla’s You Are The Sea clothing brand raises money for Surfers Against Sewage.
A great idea. And a design that serves as a nice reminder to get away from that screen and head out in nature.
NUMBERALS TOTE BY HOPE MENG
Hope Meng’s designs are just as smart and memorable as her episode of the Being Freelance podcast.
Lots to choose from in her shop. But I figured after this long list of gifts, you’re going to need something to put them all in. So this seems totes amazing.
TUNNOCK’S TEA CAKE UMBRELLA
Artist and designer Gillian Kyle has an incredible range of fun products inspired by Scotland.
Now you can step outdoors to get the body moving and the brain thinking even if it’s raining.
And come back in to reward yourself with a tea & tunnock’s.
A Note on links
A quick note - a handful of links on this page are affiliate links, which means if you click and buy, some pennies come in to help keep Being Freelance knee deep in Quality Street. But, just as with all of the other gift ideas, I’ve only picked them because I think they’d be a great fit for a freelancer.